The report gives information about two armed men boarded a general cargo vessel at Sandakan Port (Malaysia) on Friday. A danger alert was raised by the crew members but the pirates succeeded in their escape stealing some ship belongings.

Another tanker vessel, sailing 62 nautical miles north of Palau Uwi (Indonesia), was boarded last Wednesday by 15-25 armed criminals. The ship was hijacked with all its crew members taken hostages. Onboard damages, broken ship equipment and stolen items were also reported. Most of the ship's load was discharged by the pirates and moved into another vessel. The tanker is on its way to a safer destination and all crew members are safe.

The Philippine Coast Guard Authorities are worried about the impacts from the possibility of an oil spill from a seized Indonesian tanker in an earlier incident this year in Asia. Since February, the vessel has been left ashore in Barangay Cabuaya in the city of Mati, Davao Oriental Province.

The incident took place on January 29 near Paraitan Lambeh Island in North Sulawesi when the vessel was hijacked by armed men. Fishermen rescued two members of the crew who had been thrown overboard by the pirates.

The concerns regarding MT Rehobot are about the fuel that may spill into the ocean. The Coast Guard authorities advised the ship to be towed away before any environmental disaster in the region occurs. A meeting with neutral and Coast Guard officials is held to discuss the future of the vessel.